87. You've just been asked to become Interim CEO. Now what? - Leading Organizations That Matter

Summary4 min read

Episode Overview

Podcast: Leading Organizations That Matter
Host: Rey Spadoni
Episode: 87 – "You've just been asked to become Interim CEO. Now what?"
Date: October 14, 2025

In this concise solo episode, Rey Spadoni addresses a scenario often faced by leaders in mission-driven, nonprofit health care, and social service organizations: being unexpectedly tapped to serve as Interim CEO. Drawing from his own personal experience as both a full-time and interim CEO, Spadoni explores the critical first questions to ask, the nuances of interim leadership roles, and strategic approaches to succeeding (or surviving) in this unique position.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Clarify Your Intentions with the Role

Right place, right time: Spadoni notes he became interim CEO by being perceived as the right person at the moment rather than by seeking the role. (00:33)
Be upfront about your interest:
- Decide if you want to be considered for the permanent CEO position.
- Communicate your intentions to the board early for clarity on both sides.
"Be clear on whether you would like to be considered a candidate for the permanent role or not ... I recommend being upfront about this right from the get go."
– Rey Spadoni (01:08)

2. Understand the Board’s Expectations

Boards may have varying, often unspoken, needs from an interim CEO. Spadoni breaks down expectations into two main types:

A. Seat Warmer ("Do No Harm" Approach)

Facilitate meetings.
Communicate steadily with the board.
Avoid surprises.
Convey calm.
Maintain the status quo and "do no harm".

"Do they want you to facilitate senior management meetings ... and essentially do no harm?"
– Rey Spadoni (02:08)

B. Acting CEO ("Lead and Advance" Approach)

Continue to drive organizational goals.
Tackle difficult decisions and conflicts.
Exhibit genuine leadership and possibly make unpopular choices.

"Or do they want you to actually continue to advance the goals of the organization, make difficult decisions, ... and truly lead?"
– Rey Spadoni (02:33)

Spadoni stresses the importance of knowing which of these modes the board expects, pointing out many boards aren't clear themselves until prompted.

"Just the mere fact that you bring up this question can help them think it through and decide if they're not sure. Many boards are not."
– Rey Spadoni (03:01)

3. Navigating the "Seat Warmer" Role

If asked merely to keep things steady:
- Push for an expedient and committed search for the permanent CEO.
- Recognize that transitioning into a decisive or transformational role later will be difficult.
- Only take on this role if you don’t want the permanent job yourself.
"If the board's asking you to keep the seat warm, ... should it ever be necessary, it's going to be hard for you to pivot to hardcore decision making mode."
– Rey Spadoni (03:17)

4. Operating as a Full Acting CEO

If expected to truly lead:
- Board support is crucial, especially against internal resistance (even from the senior team).
- Prepare the board to "have your back" in the event of conflict or unpopular decisions.
- Without clear, ongoing board backing, Spadoni cautions against taking the position.
"There could be some in the organization ... who are not going to want you to succeed for whatever reason... To prevent end runs to the board ... you are going to need to prepare the board in advance to have your back. If you can't get this type of support and commitment up front, I'd be very hesitant to take on such a role."
– Rey Spadoni (05:01)

5. Plan Ahead to Prevent Trouble

Spadoni emphasizes proactive negotiation and expectation-setting to avoid organizational or personal hardship later.

"This is one of those situations where some careful planning up front can prevent a world of hurt down the line."
– Rey Spadoni (06:04)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On the awkwardness of assuming the interim role:

"In all three cases I didn't actually seek the role. Rather, I was perceived as being the best person in that moment ... Right place, Right Time." (00:33)
On the core initial question:

"Be clear on whether you would like to be considered a candidate for the permanent role or not ... I recommend being upfront about this right from the get go." (01:08)
On board expectations:

"There are shades of gray here, but you're going to want to know which side you're mostly on." (01:54)
On proactive communication and support:

"This is one of those situations where some careful planning up front can prevent a world of hurt down the line." (06:04)

Timestamps for Important Segments

00:33 – Spadoni’s own path to interim leadership roles.
01:08 – Importance of stating your interest in the permanent role.
02:08–02:33 – The two sides of interim CEO expectations: seat warmer vs. acting leader.
03:01 – Encouraging board clarity on what they want.
03:17 – Dangers of a seat warner trying to shift into a decision-maker.
04:23-05:35 – Navigating office politics and ensuring board support for an acting interim CEO.
06:04 – The value of upfront planning.

Closing Thoughts

Spadoni closes by emphasizing the necessity of proactive dialogue and clear plans when stepping into an interim CEO role, both to safeguard yourself and the organization. His advice applies to both aspiring leaders and boards, underlining leadership as a matter of intentionality, transparency, and adaptability.

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Transcript1 lines

[00:00]
A
Foreign welcome to Leading Organizations that Matter, a podcast about leadership and how we find impact, integration, meaning and joy in our work. I'm Ray Spadoni and today's topic is you've just been asked to become interim CEO. Now what? In addition to actually serving as the CEO of three organizations, I've also served in that same role as an interim. Probably doesn't matter much to my main point here, but in all three cases I didn't actually seek the role. Rather, I was perceived as being the best person in that moment to take on the job. Right place, Right Time if you find yourself in such a moment having received that tap on the shoulder, then here are a few thoughts for you. First, be clear on whether you would like to be considered a candidate for the permanent role or not. If you want to use the time to sort that out, fine. But I recommend being upfront about this right from the get go. The board will appreciate knowing how you feel about this, and you will appreciate knowing how they feel about you. Sometimes the board wants you to be the interim, but will desire a permanent leader with a different skill set. You should know this going in. Avoid surprises. Second, make sure that you understand what the board's true wishes are. I like to separate this into two distinct categories. There are shades of gray here, but you're going to want to know which side you're mostly on. Do they want you to a facilitate senior management meetings, coordinate with the board, prevent surprises, convey calm throughout the organization, and essentially do no harm, or b do they want you to actually continue to advance the goals of the organization, make difficult decisions, take, deal with conflict, and truly lead? I refer to A as keeping the seat warm and b as acting like you really are the CEO. You have to know what the board is expecting, and just the mere fact that you bring up this question can help them think it through and decide if they're not sure. Many boards are not. If the board's asking you to keep the seat warm, they're going to need to. They're going to need to understand that should it ever be necessary, it's going to be hard for you to pivot to hardcore decision making mode. No one in the organization will be accustomed to you taking on that kind of role, and this could be difficult should a problem arise that requires real leadership and difficult decision making. Additionally, the search process ought to hum along quickly. There's often a lot of white space and downtime in a search process, and some of this has to do with how aggressively the timeline is managed. If you're a seat warmer, then you want the permanent search to move along. Also, it's probably needless to say you should only accept such a role if if you are not interested in the permanent position. If you're in the B role that is acting like you really are the CEO, then you are going to need the board's ongoing support. There could be some in the organization, including maybe some members of the senior team, who are not going to want you to succeed for whatever reason. They might be biding time until the permanent person is named. They're waiting you out for you to be successful in this type of an interim role, you are going to have to contend with conflict and make decisions, including some unpopular ones maybe, and maybe even deal with senior team performance problems. To prevent end runs to the board and other variants of political sideswiping, you are going to need to prepare the board in advance to have your back. If you can't get this type of support and commitment up front, I'd be very hesitant to take on such a role. This is one of those situations where some careful planning up front can prevent a world of hurt down the line. Thanks for listening. Leaving a positive review and letting others know about this podcast will help a couple great deal. My mission is to help empower organizations that matter by supporting those who lead them. I offer coaching, mentoring and consulting services. You can learn more about me and my work@racepadoni.com sa.